Through Thick and Thin
by thelonelyone
Summary: Harm has a chance to show Mac just how much he loves her.. Will he make the most of the chance that he has been given or will he, once again, back out? Please R&R..
1. I'm Here For You Always

Disclaimer: I don't own them... sigh.

A/N: I watched the season finale. I was inspired. I wrote. And now, you will read... and hopefully enjoy what you read... Since I don't know what the doc told Mac, I just went with the thought of it being bad news and hit the ground running...I'm totally in love with the thought of Harm and Mac being together forever... I always have been... Just wanted y'all to know... I've got a pretty good idea where this is going... Oh, and I wrote the song I make Harm sing..

And now...

"Through Thick and Thin"

-thelonelyone

Part 1

It's been a week since Mac told me. To say that I didn't take it well would make you extremely gifted in the art of understatement. I've tried not to act any different around her. I have failed miserably. Every time she moans or grunts, I'm by her side. I refrain from asking her if she's okay. Hopefully, she knows that I'm concerned and that I want to be there for her. She's taking it well, all things considered. She's not talking much, but I can't really blame her. I'm trying my best to just be there for her. I've brought her lunch all week long, I've given her Tylenol whenever I noticed that she was biting her bottom lip to keep from moaning, I've held the heating pad to her back while she sat at her desk going over file after file, and I've spent the last five nights on her couch, listening out for any signs of her discomfort. She didn't protest when I told her that I was staying with her for a few days. She just nodded and watched me turn her couch into my temporary abode. We've been riding to work together and every night I've cooked her dinner. She's quiet, and I know she needs her space. I try to stay out of the way. My uniforms are hanging in her closet, along with a few pair of jeans and a few t-shirts. She hasn't said a word. My shoes stay at the door and my aviation magazines are stacked on her coffee table. She doesn't seem to mind. Her bathroom shelf has my personal items on it. She has even given me a drawer in her bedroom to put my socks and boxers in. She's letting me move in a little more each day, and she's not saying a damn thing.

I can't help it. I want to be there for her. I'm trying to give her some space, let her deal with it on her own. It's killing me. I get the urge to just hold her, pull her into my arms and keep her safe and warm. But I can't do that. I can't be weak because she doesn't need me to be weak. She needs me to be strong. So that's what I'll be. She doesn't need me hovering over her either, but I can't help that. I've tried not to invade her personal space. I stay a few feet behind her. When she's in court and I'm free, I try to only check on her every ten minutes. If she has noticed that I'm checking on her, she hasn't said anything. If she has noticed that I stand in her doorway at night and watch her sleep, she hasn't called me on that yet either. Sometimes, in her eyes, I see a small flicker of annoyance, but I flash her a smile and it disappears instantly, replaced by an amused, grateful look she only shows to me...

Sometimes, at night, she cries. I can hear her sobs. I can hear her sniffing. I hear her talking in her sleep, and what she says kills me. Last night, all she said was, "Harm, don't leave me." Over and over again. She kept saying it. I finally got up off the couch and went into her bedroom only to find her bound by sheets, tossing and turning. I untangled her sheets, covered her up, and kissed her on the forehead. She calmed down and settled into a fitful sleep. I remember whispering, "I'm not leaving. I'll never leave you." And it's the truth. She's going to need me. She's not going to want to go through this alone. She's not going to have to. I'm not going anywhere. I love her too much to walk away this time.

Right now, I'm sitting on her living room floor in front of her couch, holding the heating pad to her back. She's laying on her stomach, head resting on my pillow, watching the news. I could care less about the damn news, but it's what she wants to watch, so I don't complain. She seems interested in whatever the guy is saying, so I steal a glance in her direction. She's wearing a pair of Marine green shorts and a black tank top. She's barefooted, and, as usual, her hair is all over the place. She looks beautiful. I can't help but smile. She must feel my eyes on her because she looks at me questioningly.

"There a reason why you're staring at me and smiling like that, Sailor?" She asks with a laugh.

"You're beautiful." I tell her simply. No more lies. No more dancing around the truth. I'm tired of not telling her how I feel, what I think. She smiles at me then hurls a pillow in my direction. I let it hit me. I don't even try to dodge it.

"I know I am. Now put your eyes back in your head and go get me a bottle of water." She says, still smiling. God, I live for that smile.

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am." I say, standing up and tossing a salute her way. I can hear her laughing from the kitchen. Her laugh is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. I grab two bottles of water out of the refrigerator and jog back over to her. I resume my position and move the heating pad up a little.

"Hmm. Thank you. That feels wonderful." She says, taking her bottle of water from me. I can tell that she is hurting, but she can't have any Tylenol for another hour or so.

I take a sip of my water and put the cap back on. She's watching me for some reason. I smile at her. "What is it, Mac?" I ask, scooting closer to her.

"Have I told you thank you for everything you've done for me?" She asks, her voice full of emotion, her eyes full of what I hope is love.

"Yeah. But the more you tell me, the more I like it..." This gets another laugh out of her and I laugh as well. Her laughter fades and she sighs. She's been doing that a lot lately. So have I.

"Harm, I mean it. Thank you." She whispers, resting her hand on my shoulder.

"Mac..." My voice trails off and I suddenly can't look her in the eyes. I need to tell her. I want to. But I can't. I don't want her to think that I'm trying to take advantage of her. I just want her to know that I care. "Mac..." I try again but fail. She smiles at me and waits. I'm going to try this one more time. "I want to be here for you. Through thick and thin." It's not much, but right now, it's all I can manage. If I say much more, I'll end up telling her everything.

"Will you rub my back now?" She asks, putting her bottle of water on the coffee table after taking a few long sips.

"Sure." I say, getting up on my knees. As if she had to ask. She tosses the heating pad onto the floor and my heart starts beating a little faster. I know what's coming next. I watch her sit up and peel the tank top off. She smiles at me just before she settles back down on her stomach. I swallow the lump in my throat and exhale a breath that I had no clue I had been holding in. I pop my knuckles and get to work. The tank top could have stayed on, but she gets no complaints from me. I am learning that Mac loves to be touched... and I have always known that I love coming in contact with her...

Mac has the most amazingly soft skin. This is a five day old discovery, yet here I am, amazed again at how soft and delicate she feels beneath my fingertips. She's tense at first, but I work out each little knot of tension with rough massages then dull the pain with gentle rubbing. She sighs contentedly and I smile. I'm doing my job. I look down at her back and watch my hands work. She's so small... fragile. My smile fades and once again I am filled with the sudden urge to pull her into my arms and just hold her for a while. I don't. Instead, I just keep massaging her back. Silence is proving fatal, so I decide to start up some small talk. "This feel good?" I ask, continuing to tenderly knead her lower back.

"Yeah. That feels really good." She replies, then laughs a little. "I think I'm getting sleepy." She adds, her words immediately followed by a yawn.

"You want to go to bed?" I ask, my knees starting to hurt. I don't care that my knees are hurting. I'd stay like this all night if that's what she wanted me to do.

"No. Not yet. I want to watch some TV. If you keep doing what you're doing, I'm going to be asleep in no time though. I relieve you of your present duties until further notice." She tells me, smiling beautifully.

"Okay." I say, smiling back at her. I can't help but look her over when she sits up and searches for her tank top. I hid it under the coffee table. She points and I shrug, acting like I have no idea what she wants.

"Harm, if you want the tank top to stay off, all you have to do is ask..." She says, flashing me an innocent smile. I feel myself blushing as I reach for her tank top. I hand it to her, not sure how much longer I can take looking at her in nothing but those shorts and that black silk bra. It's nothing but lace and it's leaving very little to my imagination. She must sense my discomfort because she takes the tank top from me and stands up. I stand up and I'm finally composed enough to offer her a lop-sided grin. "You want it on or off?" She asks, still smiling.

"Answering that could get me into some trouble." I tell her, looking her over once again. I can't help it. I know I shouldn't be playing along. I also know I shouldn't be staring at her like I am right now, but I'm only human... I'm a man, and Mac is more than a little attractive. She's standing there, waiting for me to give her a straight answer. She wants me to tell her to either put her shirt on or leave it off, but I can't be the one to make that decision. I hesitate a little too long and I can't help but frown as she puts her tank top back on.

"You had your chance, flyboy." She says, laughing as she flops down on the couch and grabs the remote control. She's flipping channels as I just stand here, regretting the fact that I am a gentleman. Oh, well... Maybe she'll make me the same offer tomorrow night. I sit down next to her and she just laughs.

We are now watching 'America's Funniest Home Videos' and she's laughing as a dad catches his son's pitch with his crotch. I had no idea that this show still came on, much less at two on a Saturday morning. I've been asking her periodically if she wants to go to bed. She just shakes her head and keeps watching TV. I don't mind. For the past three hours she has been leaning up against me, and I've been holding her close to me. For some reason, every now and then she looks up at me and smiles.

'America's Funniest Home Videos' goes off and a rerun 'Ally McBeal' comes on. She looks up at me and makes a funny face then changes the channel. I take it that 'Ally McBeal' isn't her thing. She's flipping channels again when she stops on some movie with a Marine in it. He's barking orders at some misfit kids, calling them little pukes and disgusting little balls of shit. I laugh and so does she. This isn't exactly the most romantic movie, but it will do. Besides, I'm still holding her, something I've been wanting to do for the past week...

I have finally figured out that we are watching 'Major Pain'. This movie is hilarious. Mac and I laugh at the funny parts; other than that, we are silent. She's getting tired. I can tell. I lean close to her and whisper, "You're getting sleepy..."

She looks up at me with a smile and says, "Yeah... I think it's past my bedtime." We stand up together and I repeat the actions of the night before and the night before that and the night before that...

I pull back her covers, she slips into bed, and then I tuck her in. I kiss her on the cheek and ask her if she needs anything. She tells me she doesn't. I then smile at her and say, "Good night, Mac. If you need anything, let me know." She assures me that she will and then closes her eyes. I walk out of her bedroom and head for her couch.

The TV is off and all I can hear is the whir of the fan overhead. I can't sleep. Again. I guess some things never change. I can also barely make out the sound of a nearby clock ticking. Damn that's annoying. Something in the corner is shining and it catches my eye. I know just what it is. It's my guitar.

I walk over and pick it up, cradling it, knowing that I will have to play softly or risk waking her up. My Marine is a deep sleeper once she gets to sleep, but I'll still play and sing softly.

I strum through a few chords and close my eyes. God, I swear this might be better than flying. My guitar comes to life and sweetly sings to me as my fingertips form chord after chord. I'm strumming lightly, praying I don't wake her up. I need to sing. I need to play. I'm surprised by my own voice as I quietly sing....

'You are my reason. You are my song.

You are my comfort when everything's going wrong.

And you are my heart. You make me whole.

You are filling me, filling up my soul.

Oh, I need you.

I'd die just to keep you.

You are everything

That means anything to me.

I'll die without your touch...

I need you so much...

You are everything

That means anything to me...

You are my hope. You are my ray of light.

You are the dreams that I'll dream tonight.

And you are my reason. You are my sanity.

You are the very blood that flows through me.

Oh, I need you.

I'll die just to keep you.

You are everything

That means anything to me..

I'll die without your touch.

I need you so much.

You are everything

That means anything to me...'

I stop singing and fight the tears I know will fall. I put my guitar back in its stand and head back over to the couch. All I can do for her now is get some sleep. She's going to need me, and I've got to stay strong...

But for now, she's not here... and I am far from strong as the tears streak down my face. All I can do is cry for her, for everything she's been through, and everything that she's going to go through...


	2. He Promised Me Forever

Disclaimer: Same as before...

A/N: This is my attempt at being Mac... For some reason, I find it easier to talk for Harm... Mac is so damn complicated and downright annoying at times... But we love her anyway.. And so does Harm.. grin

"Through Thick and Thin"

Part 2

-thelonelyone

It's been six days since I told him. Six days, and yet I still remember the look on his face, the pain in his eyes... He just looked at me at first. Then, without saying a word, he hit his knees in front of me, wrapped his arms around my waist, and cried like a baby. I ran my fingers through his hair and wept. His body shook violently as he cried without shame. When his sobs subsided, he stood up, his white pants stained at the knees, and pulled me into a warm embrace. I clung to him for dear life, crying and whispering, "Promise me you'll be here... Promise me you won't leave..." He looked down at me, his eyes full of love, pain, and devotion, and I heard him say, "I'll be here for you, Mac. Always." I think he promised me forever...

Since then, I have had it made. He has waited on me, done everything I've asked him to do, and every night, I am getting massaged by the hands of God. What more could any woman want? He's by my side when I need him, and even when I don't. His personal belongings- his shoes, his clothes, his cologne, his aviation magazines- are scattered all over my apartment. His clothes are hanging in my closet, and I've even given him a drawer in my bedroom. He hovers over me at work, checks on me when I'm in court, brings me lunch, and tucks me in every night.

I steal a few glances at him and smile. He's such a beautiful creature. That smile, that body, those shoulders, that tortured heart, that wounded soul... God, he's beautiful. I can't help but stare at him. He's putting on a load of clothes, standing out in my laundry area in nothing but a pair of jeans, all of his t-shirts dirty and in the washing machine now. He studies his appearance for a minute and frowns. I know him well enough to know that if he was at his place, it wouldn't bother him to walk around without a shirt on. He's not sure if it's going to bother me or not... I can tell that's what he's thinking about. Why he thinks I'd be bothered by him walking around half naked I'll never know. He shrugs and struts into my living room with a smile on his face. It's Saturday, my apartment is clean, and it's mid-afternoon. How he manages to do so much in so little time, I'll never know. I appreciate everything he's doing for me. I appreciate him just being here.

He flops down on the couch close to me and takes the remote out of my hand. He turns the TV off and just looks at me. I have no idea what he's up to, but for some reason, the silence between us doesn't make me uncomfortable. I look into his eyes and it's there still: that flicker of concern that has been there for forever. I smile at him but my smile is not returned. He's staring at me, lost in thought. I'd give everything I own to know what he's thinking right now. God, Harm, take a picture... It will last longer.. Why are you staring at me like that? Please say something... I don't know what to say, so please, say something...

He's still staring at me as he says, "You're so beautiful." So I didn't misread the look in his eyes. He wasn't just "lost in thought"...

"You told me that yesterday, Harm." I tell him with a smile. He smiles back this time and laughs a little. God, just hearing this man's laugh does something to me that I still can't explain. He reaches for my hand and I intertwine his fingers with mine. "What is it, flyboy?" I ask, knowing that there's something on his mind. He needs to talk, but I think he'd rather die than to say something that he thinks would upset me.

The look in his eyes is killing me. He's worried. I can tell. When my flyboy is worried, the flicker of concern darkens and takes on a painful hue. He waits, probably trying to think of something to say, then finally abandons silence. "I know it hasn't been easy for you... having me here, I mean... But I was thinking, and it's just an idea, so if you object, I'll understand... But I was thinking that maybe I should move in with you." He has lost his confidence and so he befriends silence once more. I'm speechless.

Honest to God, this is not what I was expecting. He wants to move in with me? He wants to be around me twenty-four seven? I would have Harm around whenever I want him around? Have him here every night when I go to bed? He would be the first thing I see when I open my eyes every morning? God, does he honestly expect me to have objections? I laugh out loud. This gets his attention. I'm smiling entirely too hard, but I could care less. My flyboy wants to move in with me! This could get interesting...

"Harmon Rabb Junior, do you honestly expect me to go for that?" I ask sarcastically. I've got to tease him a little. The look on his face when I laughed at his idea was priceless... But that look is replaced instantly by one of hurt and defeat as he hangs his head, not able to make eye contact with me.

"I was just trying to... I mean, it was just a thought." His tone tells me that I can't keep picking on him. He's too vulnerable for me to take advantage of him like this...

"Harm..."I say, trying to get him to look up at me. I squeeze lightly at his hand and he takes the hint. "What will you do with Mattie?" I ask, wondering if he'll follow me, if he'll catch on to what I'm trying to tell him.

"Well, we could always... buy a house." He says, smiling. He must have caught on. Sometimes I just don't give this man enough credit. "I mean, we could get a four bedroom house with a decent size living room and kitchen. Mattie could have her room, we'd have ours, and then there would be an office. It could work..." His voice trails off and he's just sitting there with that goofy lop-sided grin on his face.

"Mattie gets her own room and we get "ours"... What are you implying, Navy? You want to bunk with a Marine?" I ask, enjoying watching the color rise in his cheeks. He has just suggested that we share a bedroom... not that I'd mind.

"I meant that we'd have our separate rooms... Wow, so that came out well, huh?" He asks, laughing again. I swear this man's laugh is musical... it has an undeniable effect on me... He winks at me and adds, "But if you wanted to share a room with me... I wouldn't object. In fact, it would be nice to have an office and a spare room..."

It's my turn to blush. Damn. I hate what he does to me... Who am I kidding? Not me... I love what this man does to me... But a house? This is a big step for... We're just friends, partners at work... We're not together..

He must be reading my mind because he sobers up quickly and continues whatever discourse he has been practicing in his head all week. "Mac, I know this seems like a big step to take, but we've made everything else work... We can do this. I've enjoyed being here the past few days, but... that's not the point. I'm ready to settle down... You're going to need me... And I'm going to want to be there for you... Look at it as a step in the right direction. We can make this work, Mac... We can make us work..."

This man has just promised me forever... I can't say anything... I'm still letting it all sink in. He's still holding my hand, still looking at me with those sad eyes and that expectant look on his face. He flashes me a small smile and I smile back at him. "You and me? You think that'll work?" I ask, leaning up against him. He pulls me into his arms and kisses me on top of the head.

"Hell yes, I think it'll work. I mean, if ever two people were destined to be together, it's us..." He tells me, then pulls me closer to him. I snuggle up next to him and breathe in the smell of what can only be described as uniquely Harm. I can't help it. The tears that filled my eyes as soon as he pulled me into his arms begin to fall and I look up at him. "Oh, Mac... don't cry. Please tell me that you know that I love you... Because if you didn't know... Now you do. Mac... I love you."

He just told me that he loves me... and so here I am, crying harder. He's just holding me, snuggling close to me and whispering, "I love you..." I look up into his eyes and I'm surprised to see that they are filled with tears. I lean up and press my lips to his. It's simple enough... But it's all I can think to do. He smiles down at me and says, "So, you want to make a go of it?"

I don't even hesitate. "Yes. And I love you too." I tell him, and he just smiles even harder. He kisses me and when we pull away from each other, he's breathless. I laugh and he just stares at me, his eyes full of love and longing. I stand up and tug at his hand, trying to get him up off of the couch. He stands up and I lead him into my bedroom. To hell with getting the laundry done...

I glance over my shoulder at him and he flashes me his best flyboy grin. I've got one thing in mind, and from the look in his eyes, his thoughts and mine are one and the same.

Once we're in my bedroom, I slowly run my hands up his chest. I can feel his heart beating faster beneath my fingertips as we kiss. Suddenly, he backs away a little and a look of fear is in his eyes...

"Mac... are you okay? I mean, can we... What about you're back?" he asks, concerned. God, I just want those jeans off of him, I want to be making love to him, and all he can think about is not hurting me... Somehow, if it's possible, the fact that he's concerned about me enough to stop what he wants to do and make sure that I'm okay makes me want him even more...

"I'm fine... Besides, if I start hurting, you'll have a good excuse to have your hands all over me, now won't you?" I ask, watching him nod and smile once more.

We spend the afternoon making love. It's better than I ever imagined it would be... I guess being in love makes a difference... We make love, then sleep, only to wake up and make love once more... Then there is more lazy afternoon sleep, and more love making during the night.

He's asleep now, snoring lightly. I am in his arms, content, loved. I close my eyes and smile. It's well after midnight when I finally drift off into a restful, deep sleep. I dream of the rest of my life with Harm... Our house, Mattie having her own room for when she visits... For some reason, Mattie isn't living with us, rather stopping by to visit every now and then... And then there is the beautiful backyard, and our two children, our son and our daughter, running around playing, chasing our dog... Our son looks exactly like his father, with cropped dark hair and piercing eyes. Our little girl is the spitting image of me, and is running barefoot through the yard, laughing as her brother soaks our black lab with a super-soaker...


	3. Her In My Arms

Disclaimers: Do I own anything? (checks) Nope. Suing would make you the proud new owner of absolutely nothing... I'm "barrowing" the characters... DPB can have them back when I'm done... Maybe he'll do something worth doing with them...

A/N: This is me being Harm again. I loved writing this... Talk about it flowing and flowing... Wow. Thank God for words and emotions, huh? Enjoy!

"Through Thick and Thin"

Part 3

I wake up smiling. She's asleep in my arms, her hair all over the place. Wow. I had sex with Mac. Repeatedly... And it was... It was so much more than just... sex. Each time was sweeter, more satisfying.. Oh, God, it was so much better than I had ever imagined it would be... I mean, it's not like I thought about having sex with Mac every time I was around her, but I would be lying if I said that I had never fantasized about her. I have. I've had some thoughts about her that if she had known what I was thinking at the time, she would have kicked my six...

Right now, I'm tangled up in sheets that are relentless, their hold on me prohibiting me from stretching... Well, that and there is Mac, who has her arm and leg tossed over me, pinning me to the bed. Why did we wait so long? Does she know how natural this feels? Waking up with her in my arms? We fit together perfectly... I can't help but stare at her. She's so beautiful. Why on earth I waited so long to tell her that I love her, I will never know... For someone who is smart, I have a tendency to do some stupid things...

She stirs a little and I laugh. Her big brown eyes flutter open and my heart starts pounding faster. God, I love this woman. "Morning." I whisper, kissing her lightly on the forehead.

"Mmm." Is the response I get from her. She pulls the covers up over her head and moans. I feel her hand sliding up my chest and I let out a breath I had no idea I was holding until now. I hear what sounds like a laugh. What is she laughing at this early in the morning?

"What's so funny?" I ask, ducking under the covers and wrapping my arms around her naked form. Mac has an amazing body...

"I just remembered something..." She says, struggling to free herself from the covers. I help her and we emerge together, both of us squinting, blinded by sunlight that is pouring in through a nearby window.

"And what was that?" I ask, smiling. She has my attention and she knows it. I watch intrigued as she pulls back the covers and points. Her tattoo.. Okay, so the location throws me for a loop. I would have never pegged her as the type to get tattooed, but I definitely would never have thought she'd get one... there.

"You asked me where it was once, remember? On the USS Patrick Henry. I figured that it was no longer classified information." She says, laughing at my reaction.

"Well.. It's nice. I never would have thought that's where it would be, but hey... I'm learning new things about you everyday." I lean in and kiss her passionately, my hands roaming the length of her body. I'll admit... After seeing her like this.. After holding her, touching her, kissing her, loving her... I'm hooked. I'm addicted to Mac. When the kiss ends she looks up at me and smiles. I love that smile...

"So what do you want to do today?" She asks, rolling out of my arms and standing up to stretch. Her back is hurting. I can tell. I lay here and watch her get dressed. She slips on a thong, a matching bra, and one of my t-shirts. She saunters back over to the bed and sits down next to me, her back to me. She glances over her shoulder at me and smiles again.

"Well..." I begin, but stop, noticing that she just grimaced slightly. Her back is bothering her still. "Are you hurting?" I ask, knowing the answer. She doesn't deny it. Instead she nods a little and stands up. "I'll make you some breakfast and then you can take some Tylenol, okay?" I tell her, sliding out of the bed. Shit. I forgot I was naked. Oh, well. She watches me walk over to my drawer. I take out a pair of black silk boxers and slip into them. When I turn around, she is smiling again. "See something you like?" I ask playfully. She just nods and I smile. "C'mon, let's go get you some food, jarhead."

"Hey, squid... Watch it." She says, her tone supposed to be a warning. I laugh and pull her into my arms for another kiss. I swear.. I can't keep my hands or lips off of her... When I pull away, she laughs at me and says, "Someone sure is touchy feely..."

"If you were a man and you had you in your arms, you'd be all over you too..." I say, laughing as she shakes her head.

"You do know how incredibly stupid that sounded, don't you?" She asks, grabbing me by the hand and pulling me towards the kitchen.

"What can I say? You bring out the best in me..." I tease, following her lead.

She leads me into the kitchen and says, "I'll take some toast and some juice. I'm not really hungry."

"You? Not hungry?" I ask playfully. She just rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

I look up from pouring the juice just in time to catch her do something that takes my breath away. I'm not much of a romantic, but I swear... this gets to me. She scans through the news paper, and upon finding an article about a Tomcat pilot that received a DFC for his efforts in the war on terrorism, she folds the page back and sets it aside. She then fumbles through the Classifieds. She's scanning the "Houses For Sale" section. I can't help but smile. Not only does she know me well enough to know what article I'll want to read first, but she's reading add after add, mulling over the possibility of there being an 'us.'

Her toast is ready, so I grab it and the glass of orange juice and head into the living room where she is stretched out on the couch, still looking through the Classified section. She looks up and smiles.

"There's the article about that pilot getting a DFC." She tells me, pointing to the folded page that she has to the left of her. She's already munching on the toast. She then takes a sip of orange juice.

"Thank you. I'll get you some Tylenol..." I tell her, smiling as she circles an add that caught her eye. "Hey, Mac?" I say, getting her to look up at me.

"Yeah?" She replies, half interested in what I have to say, half interested in her search for a house.

"I love you." I tell her, no hesitation whatsoever.

"I love you too." She replies, smiling at me, then she continues her search.

I find the Tylenol and return with two in my hand. She takes them then sighs. I wonder what she's thinking, but from the expression on her face, I can tell that maybe I should just let her think things through, give her some space, some time to think...

The article about the pilot doesn't keep my attention long. In fact, I don't even get half way through it. It's my turn to sigh. I toss the newspaper onto her coffee table and glance at her out of the corner of my eye. She's smiling and circling another add.

"Harm, I think I found it... Listen to this. 'Two story, five bedroom, 3 bath dream home. Spacious kitchen and living room. Fenced in backyard with in ground pool, landscaped front lawn. Two car garage. Perfect for the couple looking to start a family. In a quiet, safe neighborhood just outside of Falls Church.' What do you think?" She says, leaning close to me and pointing at the add that has been circled.

"I think it sounds nice. We can schedule a time to meet the realtor as soon as possible, maybe sometime after work next week. Price is decent too." I tell her, smiling at the fact that my dream girl has just picked out our dream home.

"About that... I don't expect you to just buy a house so that we can live together, Harm. I want to help too." She's got that concerned look she gets sometimes and I laugh.

"Mac, let's do everything together... Let's pick out the house together, choose wall paper together.. We can discuss the technical aspects of living together later... Anything else catch your eye?" I ask, noticing that there are a few other circles.

"Yeah.. I like this one, but it's only two or three blocks away from the Admiral.. It might be weird living right down the road from him. And this one sounds nice..." She's pointing at circle after circle, excitedly rattling off house stats. I just smile. I will do whatever it takes to get her anything and everything she wants... Price be damned.. We'll get up the down payment somehow, and with both of our salaries, pulling this off shouldn't be too hard. She's pointing at the first add she read aloud. "This one just sticks out for some reason... Maybe it's the yard thing... I've always wanted a yard..." She says, a flicker of pain in her eyes. I know why she's always wanted a yard... same reason I've always wanted a yard: kids and a dog.

I kiss her on top of the head and smile down at her. "If you want to, we can always ride out to the house and take a look, you know, get a feel for the place." I suggest, rewarded by her with a smile and a kiss.

"Really? Ride out there as in ride out there today or ride out there later?" She asks, excitedly.

"Put on a pair of jeans and grab some shoes. I'll put some clothes on. We can be out there in half an hour." I say, standing up and extending my hand. I help her up and she wraps her arms around me.

"We're going to look at a house that could someday be our house..." She says, probably trying to assure herself that this is really happening, that this isn't a dream.

"Go get dressed, Mac... We'll take your Corvette for a spin, go see what could possibly someday be our house. I'll cruise around in a beautiful car with a beautiful girl, top back so every guy we leave in the dust can catch a glimpse of God showing off..." I say, making a run for the bedroom, pulling her with me. She laughs and I kiss her once again.

"God showing off, huh?" She asks, studying herself in the mirror.

"Oh yeah, you know it... When God made you, he was showing off big time. Remind me to tell him thanks sometime..." I say, laughing as she shrugs.

"I don't see what the big deal is. I'm beautiful, I've got great curves, I'm a Marine, 36C, great smile, long legs... Other than all that, what's so good about me?" She asks playfully.

I raise an eyebrow and tell her, "Don't forget that you are great in bed, you have an awesome personality, you are one hell of a lawyer, and you're currently linked to an ex-Naval aviator turned JAG attorney who is easy on the eyes and completely devoted to none other than you... Yeah, you're going places..." She laughs and I flash her a smile.

In ten minutes we are both dressed and are heading out the door.


	4. Heaven's Not So Far Away

Disclaimer: I don't own 'em... And I promise to put 'em back...

A/N: This is the fourth piece of who knows how many... I swear this could go on forever... I'll post it and see what you guys think of it... Let me know what you think of it... If you guys want more, I guess I could get busy writing.. I mean, I did give you guys absolutely nothing for like a month... This one is significantly shorter than the other... I'm not good at "being Mac"...

Oh, and.. "Along Came Polly"- I don't own it.. But I do suggest you see it if you love to laugh...

And now...

"Through Thick and Thin"

Part Four

I wake up cold and naked and I smile. He's snoring lightly next to me, oblivious to the fact that I am cold and he has stolen the covers. I don't mind. I'm surprised that I even got to sleep in the first place. The love making seemed never-ending... not that I mind that either. I'm finding something out about Harmon Rabb Junior... This man is great in bed. I thought Jordan was joking, maybe even trying to make me jealous with her comments years ago... I now know she was not. Harm is captivating and amazing in the courtroom, but the work he does between the sheets... Now that's something...

This afternoon, after finding the house from the add, we pulled up in the driveway and got out to walk around the property. We ended up in the swing in the backyard, laughing and talking about anything and everything. We grabbed a flyer and on our way home, Harm called and left a message with the realtor. We grabbed a bite to eat at Moe's Southwestern Grill and then headed home. Mattie came over with the DVD "Along Came Polly". As we watched the movie, I laughed harder than I have laughed in too long. Mattie and I ended up downing half a gallon of death by chocolate. Harm shook his head and said something about him wondering how on earth we kept our slim figures. Mattie asked him if he had heard of something called 'none of your business'. From there, we ended up getting in a pillow fight, Mattie and I versus Harm... Needless to say, Harm succeeded at getting pounded... After Mattie went back to her and Jen's place, Harm sang and played his guitar. I love his voice...

I close my eyes and snuggle up closer to him, needing the warmth of his body. I'm cold... and someone is still hogging all of the covers. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me closer to him with a groan. I must have woke him up...

"You cold?" He asks, his voice deep and raspy from sleep.

"Yeah, Mr. Stealthecovers, I am." I say, laughing as he pulls the covers out from under him and wraps his arms and the covers around me.

"Sorry...That better?" He asks, holding me close to him.

"Yeah." We are now pressed together and I plant a kiss on his chest. He laughs a little. "I've been cold for about an hour now." I add, smiling up at him.

"Why didn't you steal the covers away from me?" He asks, his hand busy traveling from my shoulder to my hips then back up again. Another thing I have discovered about Harm: he likes my body and loves to see me naked...

"I didn't want to wake you up..." I tell him, planting another kiss on his chest before adding, "You looked so peaceful."

"Lately, I've been sleeping like a baby... A certain Marine has made sure I get a workout, so when my head hits the pillow, it's lights out for me.." He tells me, laughing as I punch him playfully in the stomach.

"Guilty as charged." I tell him, snuggling closer to him. He smells good... he feels even better... A familiar wave of longing washes over me as I feel him begin to run his hand up my side.

"An academy buddy of mine dated a Marine once... He told me that all you jarheads are the same... You'll work a Navy boy to death and you like your sex like you like your meals: hot, heavy, and satisfying. He married her, so this Navy and Marine thing could work... They have three kids, one wants to be just like his father and fly Tomcats, but the girls want to be mean, lean, fighting Marines like their mom." He says, then kisses me on the forehead.

I laugh and ask, "Hot, heavy, and satisfying, huh? That an accurate description of how I like it, flyboy?"

"I think so..." He says, smiling as I climb on top of him...

We make love and then drift off into deep, dreamless sleep...


	5. The Only Place Left is the Kitchen

Disclaimer: I'm still playing with 'em.. I promise to return 'em in better shape than when I got 'em.. They'll come back satisfied, wondering why in the world DPB has left them in such a state of depravity and neglect for so long... FEEL SHAME, DPB, FEEL SHAME...

A/N: I love you guys too much to make you wait a month for more... that and this weekend was trash and to get away from it I locked myself away and pecked at some keys..

A/N 2: The other day a friend of mine asked me why I waste my time writing "this tasteless trash"... I'm not going to talk to her much anymore.. Just so you know, Amanda, because I know you'll read this... I do this to satisfy longings that I'm sure a lot of JAG fans have... So there... And to the ones of you who understand why I write, and for those of you who read FF religiously as I do, I say, "I love you, and tune in on September 24th..."

Smooches!

- "thelonelyone"

"Through Thick and Thin"

Part Five

For it to be a Sunday morning, time sure is standing still. Usually, Sundays are mere blips, a barely existent 24 hour period that tosses me into Monday morning with little to no warning at all. It's a little after nine, and I have already woken up, made love to Mac, fallen back into deep sleep, and now I am awake once more. Speaking of Mac.. Where is she? She's not next to me... Damn. I'm actually going to have to get up and get dressed. And sometime today, I will have to call Mattie and remind her to make sure she has everything ready for school tomorrow. I'll have to tell Jennifer to check behind her.. Damn... Damn. Damn. Damn...

After pulling on a pair of boxers and searching for a t-shirt, I realize that all my shirts are still in the washing machine and smile. For some reason, I never got around to tossing them in the dryer... I wonder why.. Oh, no wait, I know why.. I was busy making love over and over again to the best thing that's ever happened to me..

I head into the living room and find Mac wrapped up in my fleece US Navy blanket. She is sipping a cup of coffee and reading a rather thick paperback book. Upon closer inspection of the book I smile. She's reading "All You'll Ever Need to Know About Buying Your First Home". I have no idea where she got this book, maybe from Harriet? I have no idea when she got this book.. I've been with her all weekend... Maybe she had been thinking about buying a house for awhile. Maybe she and Brumby were looking a house.. I have no idea. God, her and Brumby? I should get up every morning and thank God that I ended up with hypothermia drifting at sea.. I honestly don't know what I would have done if she had gone through with marrying him. What would I have done if I had of lost her? All of a sudden it hits me...

I'm going to ask her to marry me. I'm going to ask her to be mine for all of eternity. There is no one else for me. My days of searching are over. I've finally found the one...

"Harm? Harm?" I hear her say. She's looking at me questioningly. I think she's been trying to get my attention for awhile...

"Sorry, Mac, I was, ah... Yeah, what is it?" I say, knowing instantly that I have made her suspicious. She has that look, the one that tells me that I have, in some way, inadvertently tipped her off as to the fact that I have just made plans mentally to do something completely uncharacteristic of me.. I swear this woman can read me like a book...

"Where were you just then?" She asks, laughing at me. Maybe she's not too suspicious...

"I have no idea... Ah, good morning." I say, wanting to dig a hole and crawl into it. That was my answer? That was what I said to convince her that her suspicions are just that, suspicions? I'm slipping. I'm definitely slipping. I used to be so good with come backs... One look at her and suddenly, I'm stuttering, staring off into space, thinking about marriage, and losing every ounce of cool I have worked so hard to obtain...

"Ah, good morning to you too." She says playfully. She slips a bookmark into the book and closes it. "Your shirts and jeans are in the dryer."

"Thanks." I say, walking over to her and leaning down to give her a kiss. I sit down next to her and she smiles up at me.

"So... what are we going to do today?" She asks, leaning into my embrace.

"What do you want to do?" I ask, kissing her once again.

"I don't know... Sometime later, food would be nice... For now I guess we can take a shower. By the time we get out, your clothes should be dry." She says, putting the book on the coffee table and standing up to stretch.

"A shower, huh? As in you and me in the shower together?" I ask, smiling and liking the idea of the combination of water and Mac naked.

"Well.. it would save time and water. We could look at it as us doing our part to conserve water and energy." She says, laughing and taking me by the hand.

"So we get naked together for the environment?" I ask, standing up and pulling her into my arms.

"Well, yeah, that and we could both use a shower." She says, running her hands up my bare chest.

"Then what are we waiting for?" I ask. With that, I pick her up and carry her into her bedroom. I put her down in front of her chest of drawers and she picks out a thong and a bra, a t-shirt, and from the closet she grabs a pair of jeans. She smiles at me and then opens the drawer she has allowed me to put my things in. She grabs a pair of boxers and some socks and says, "All set." With items in hand she strides over to me and I pick her up and carry her into the bathroom.

Once in the bathroom, I am amazed at how fast we manage to undress each other. We end up under the warm cascade of water, groping and making out, while simultaneously lathering each other up. I'm going to smell like her, a blend of nature and something completely all her own, but I could care less. She's running her fingers through my hair, smiling as she works in some herbal blend of willow, jasmine, and something I don't quite recognize into my hair. I'm not focused on what she's doing to me so much as I am focused on where my hands are roaming. She's wet, and slick, and laughing as my hands explore places my mind, body, and soul long to memorize.

Something about Mac being naked and wet and pressed up against me is more than I can take. In a passionate surge of energy, I lift her up and on to me..

We have now made love in her bedroom, the living room, and the shower. The only place left is the kitchen... Hmm, later, right now I've got to try not to fall.. or slip..


	6. Monkeying Around

Disclaimers: Nope. They're not mine... Oh, how I wish they were...

A/N:I have no idea where the inspiration for this piece came from... But come the inspiration did, and so, I wrote... And man, I loved writing this!!

"Through Thick and Thin"

Part Six

This is love. I have no idea where this man is taking me, and I don't care. The journey doesn't matter, what matters is who is taking me on this journey. What matters is the look in his eyes, the smile on his face... I think we're lost, but we're holding hands, so the fact that we have passed this place three times already is irrelevant. We have driven for miles and miles, carried on random conversations, laughed, remained silent... It's nice to not have to worry about what the silence between us means. It's nice to have him here next to me, even though I am now thoroughly convinced that he has no idea where we are, and it's nice to know that at the end of the day, the only thing that will be between us are the sheets...

He mumbles something under his breath and I swear it sounds like "maybe I should stop and ask for directions". I smile. He laughs out loud and I laugh.

"You know, I think we're lost." He admits, as if I don't already know...

"Well, you can always do the unmanly thing and stop and ask for directions." I say, teasing him.

"I guess I could do that." He says, looking around and finding a Handy Mart, he pulls in.

"While you're in there, you can pick me up two blueberry muffins and a cup of fresh coffee. You forgot to feed me." I say, laughing as he shakes his head and gets out of his SUV.

He walks a little ways towards the store before stopping and turning around. He jogs back over to the SUV and motions for me to roll the window down. I oblige.

He smiles before leaning in and giving me a kiss.

"I love you." He says, smiling at me.

"I love you more." I tell him.

"That's impossible..." He assures me, leaning in for another kiss. "I'll be right back."

"Don't forget my muffins and coffee!" I yell, laughing as I watch him walk into the store.

A few minutes later he returns, somehow managing to carry two bags and two cups of coffee. I have no idea how hungry he thinks I am..

"We're way off course. I headed south when I should have headed north. Well, that and I took a few wrong exits.. Other than that, we're okay." He says, and I laugh.

"Did you get one of everything?" I tease, opening the first bag he hands me. In it is a cute little monkey. "What's this?" I ask, pulling the monkey out and laughing.

"For some strange reason, it reminded me of you. Press his hand and he'll talk to you." He says, fastening his seat belt and laughing.

I do as I'm told.

"Fuck you." The monkey says.

"Oh, shit, that's not what he's supposed to say!" Harm says, wide-eyed and shocked. I laugh and press his hand again.

"Eat shit." The monkey says, his voice different this time.

"It's one of those record your own message things, I had no idea that stuff was recorded, Mac.." He explains, his face turning red.

"You're ugly and you smell like butt." The monkey says in a little kid voice.

"Harm, so far you've told me to eat shit, you've said that I'm ugly, and you've told me that I smell like butt." I say, watching him shake his head in disbelief.

"I swear I recorded a message on that damn thing... Keep pressing his hand and maybe it will play it. I think the tag says it will store ten messages." He tells me, laughing a little.

"If you're listening to this right now, you suck!" The monkey says, his voice that of a young teenage girl.

"God, Mac.. I'm sorry.. I guess I should have thought about the possibility of people having recorded stuff like that." He says, and I laugh at him.

"I think this is great.." I tell him, laughing as I press the monkey's hand again.

"My mom tells me to wash my ass, my dad says I've got no class, I start out first and finish last, but at least I've got these balls of brass." The monkey says in a woman's voice.

We both laugh at the stupid little rhyme and I press his hand again.

"Looking for a good time? Call 252-830-9596."(A/N: yes that's an actually telephone number.. Hehehe..) The monkey says, and Harm and I just exchange glances. I press his hand again.

"I touch myself in public." The monkey says, and once again Harm and I are laughing.

"I'm a bad monkey... if you spank me I'll spit at you!" The monkey says, and Harm laughs. I shake my head.. Men..

"Do you have mirrors in your pockets? Because I can see myself in your pants.." The monkey says, and I laugh. Harm smiles at me.

"Okay, so this one has to be my message." He says, reaching over and pressing the monkey's hand.

I hear what sounds like a fart and I can't help it, I start laughing even harder.

"Damn it, this is not funny." He says, starting the SUV and getting back out on the road.

"Harm, this is quite possibly the cutest thing anyone has ever given me." I tell him, smiling and hoping I get to his message soon. I press the monkey's hand and hear someone making monkey noises.

"It wasn't supposed to be cute. It was supposed to be sweet and thoughtful." He tells me.

I can tell that he's a little upset and so I take a muffin out of the second bag and start eating it. I finish the muffin and take a few sips of my coffee, giving the monkey a rest for awhile. Harm is obviously not amused by the monkey's crude banter.

"I'm just going to keep pressing his hand until I get to your message." I promise him. I press the monkey's hand and listen.

"Hey, Mac. I love you. And I know I love you more than you love me because I love you more than I love flying, more than I love the Navy." The monkey says in Harm's voice.

"You know, before I went in the store, we were arguing about who loved who the most... I wanted to settle the argument once and for all." He says, frowning.

"Aww, Harm.. That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me... I love you too." I tell him, leaning over and planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah.. The moment was ruined by the monkey's previous statements, but oh, well.. Okay, so now we're heading north. Help me watch for Exit 71, will you? If we miss it this time, we won't get where we need to go by the time we need to be there." He tells me, smiling at me. "Oh, and I'll record messages for you so you won't have to listen to that other stuff.. I'm sorry about that, I really am."

"Well, it made for some great entertainment." I say, and we both laugh.

I still have no idea where we are heading, but we are at least headed in the right direction now, and we are, once again, holding hands...

This is love, and nothing matters, nothing else matters...


	7. Exit 73

Disclaimers: They are still not mine, but I realize that they have been through so much... so, I just up and decided to steal them for a few more chapters.. What's it to you, DPB? I'll think about returning them...

A/N: Sorry for not updating yesterday. I got busy with college crap, assignments and the like.. But, yeah, here comes the next two chapters. Enjoy, and remember: reviews can only make me want to write more and more and more...

A/N 2: The song used in this one is one I wrote a long time ago, so the chances of it ever being on the radio are slim to none... but since this is my fanfic, I decided to put it on Harm's radio... Go figure... The song was actually part of a song-fic challenge, so if you like it, you can thank Sarah because she was my challenger..

Anyway...

"Through Thick and Thin"

Part Seven

I'm pretty sure that buying that damn monkey is the single most unintelligent thing I have ever done. Talk about kill the moment... At least she didn't get mad... I think she actually thought it was cute... I hope she thought it was cute... I can't believe some of the things that people recorded on it... Although some of it was pretty funny.. The 'you're ugly and you smell like butt' comment was funny. The 'I'm a bad monkey... if you spank me I'll spit at you!' line was classic... and the 'I touch myself in public' was hilarious, completely inappropriate, but hilarious nonetheless...

God, please tell me I'm not lost again.. Where the hell am I? Did that guy say Exit 71 or 74? Or was it 70? I honestly have no clue. I guess men don't ask for directions because we know that even once we have them the chances of us actually getting where we need to go are about as good as a snowball's chances of not melting in hell...

"What are you thinking about?" She asks, squeezing my hand lightly.

"Ah, well, I was wondering what exit that guy told me to take." I confess. She might as well know that even after getting directions I still have no idea where we are. I know where we need to be, but I have no idea how to get there.

"Harm, just tell me where we're going. Maybe I'll know how to get there.." She suggests softly.

No way. We either get there and it's a surprise or we don't make it and I find something else to do..

"Mac, it's supposed to be a surprise." I tell her, hoping that she'll understand just how bad I want to do this for her, for us...

"I promise to give you directions then act completely surprised when we get there." She says, laughing.

I smile. How can I say no to her? Damn... I'm going to have to..

"I'll take my chances... Pick a number... 70, 71, or 74?" I ask, completely serious.

"Are you serious?" She asks, raising a questioning eyebrow at me.

"As a heart attack.. Quick, pick one.. 70's coming up.." I tell her.

After thinking for a few seconds, she laughs. "I don't like those numbers. Take Exit 73 and wake me up if we get where we're going." With that she scoots down lower in her seat and closes her eyes.

She drifts off to sleep still clutching my hand.

Upon arriving at Exit 73, I do as Mac suggested. In the distance a sign informs me that in 45 miles, I will reach my destination. How she knew what exit to take, I'll never know... Sometimes Mac just knows that she knows something... She's not afraid of her intuition, and I'm alive because of it, so I too have come to trust what she says, thinks, and feels.

The faint sound of an interesting chord progression can be heard as I set the cruise control. Do I let go of her hand and turn it up, or do I strain to make out the words? Decisions, decisions...

I opt for lifting my knee to the wheel. With the hand that is now free, I lean up and turn the radio up a little. Thank God for long arms and long legs...

I've honestly never heard this song before, but because of the unique progression, I am forced to listen... The words are absolutely beautifully heartbreaking...

"I told myself I just needed a little space, just a little time..

Years later I am incomplete and you are completely not mine..

It was probably something I did, or something I left unsaid..

Time marches on to a beat that's unknown and I feel dead...

The darkness in me needs the light in you

The weakness in me needs you to pull me through

And this heart is yours even if you have plans to break it

Because without you, I know I'll never make it...

I told myself I just needed to see you, just a glance..

So I followed you here and I watched the two of you dance..

Maybe it was something he did, or something he said..

Images of you swaying and laughing run through my head..

The darkness in me still needs the light in you

I am still weak, I still need you to pull me through

I came here to give you my heart, will you take it?

Because without you, I know I'll never make it...

I told myself I just needed a little space, just a little time..

I can never be complete unless you're completely mine..

I called you to tell you that I no longer need time and space..

I can barely breathe as I listen to you say..

If your darkness still needs the light in me,

And if strong is still what you need me to be,

I have waited to give you my heart, please take it,

Because without you, I know I'll never make it...

Without you, I know I'll never make it..."

As I lift my knee to the wheel and use my free hand to turn the radio back down, I feel a single tear streak down my cheek.. I wipe it away.. I watched her.. I watched her with Dalton, with Brumby.. With Webb.. And the whole time, I needed her.. I needed her to be with me.. I needed to hold her, to kiss her, to touch her... I needed the blessed assurance I now feel when I wake up and she's curled up next to me...

Does she know how I feel? Does she know just how much I love her? How much I need her?

Of course not, Rabb... You haven't told her.. You have tried to show her, tried to convince her that she means everything to you, but words? Words... God, you use them everyday in court... You can make her laugh, but you can't tell her what's in your heart? You can't tell her that she's the reason you get up every morning, that she's the most important person in your life and that she always has been? You can't tell her that you've loved her for as long as you can remember, that she's your one in over six billion...

"I've got so much I need to tell you." I whisper, glancing at her sleeping form. "God, you're beautiful."

"Thank you... and what do you need to tell me?" She asks, half awake, half asleep.

"I'll tell you later.. we're almost there... When we get there, I'll tell you what I need to tell you, okay?" I say, lifting her hand up and pressing my lips to it.

"Hmmm, okay." She answers, barely coherent.

Less than an hour later, I reach our destination and kill the engine... Here goes nothing..

"Mac? Mac, we're here... wake up." I say, shaking her slightly.

Her eyes flutter open and she looks around. She smiles and stretches a little.

"This is where we need to be? Are you sure?" She asks, laughing and looking around.

"This is where we need to be.." I assure her, returning her smile.

"But, Harm... all I see are trees... and more trees.." She asks, still looking around, unsure of her surroundings.

"Trees and stars... Look up." I say, pressing a button. The sunroof opens and I hear her gasp.

"Oh, God.. Harm.. They are so beautiful.. and bright... Oh, my God.." She says, opening her door and getting out of the SUV.

I unfasten my seat belt and get out. She walks over and stands in front of me, looking up at the sky, smiling.

"You like it?" I ask, wrapping my arms around her.

"I love it." She whispers, then lets out a sigh.

"What is it?" I ask, sensing that something is wrong.

"Nothing." She attempts to assure me.

"That wasn't a 'nothing's wrong' sigh, Mac.. Tell me.. what's wrong?" I ask as she turns around to face me.

"I'm... Well, after riding so long.. I, ah, have to pee... really bad.." She says, lowering her gaze, avoiding my eyes.

I can't help it. I start laughing.

"What's so funny, flyboy?" She asks me, giving me a look that is supposed to intimidate me... Sometimes she can act like such a little kid.. I love that about her..

"You, I'm laughing at you.. We finally get here, and you've got to pee so we end up getting here just to leave?" I ask, laughing still.

"Yeah, so? What's it to you?" She asks, punching me playfully in the stomach.

"I passed a rest area on the way here. It's about a mile or two back... Let's go." I tell her, kissing her.

We get into my SUV and head towards the rest area.


	8. You Complete Me

Disclaimers: Were the mine in the first seven chapters? No... and they still aren't, dammit..

A/N: Enjoy... I'll update ASAP..

"Through Thick and Thin"

Part Eight

There is truly nothing like a good pee. I'm hovering over some dingy rest stop toilet, praying what whatever it is that's growing on the toilet seat doesn't end up jumping off of it and onto me...

I can hear Harm humming just outside the door. I don't recognize the song..

Once my business is done, I wash my hands. Unfortunately, I look into the mirror. I don't recognize the person who is staring back at me... Her hair is too long, dark circles rest beneath her eyes... I frown. That poor girl, she probably hasn't been taking care of herself... She's been too busy being weak and walking around in pain to notice that she's losing the once firm grip she used to have on her life...

"Who are you, and what have you done with the real me?" I whisper to the girl trapped in the glass.

I run my fingers through my hair and close my eyes. I can't face her, not now... Maybe not ever...

"Who were you talking to?" He asks, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around me.

"The girl in the glass." I answer, immediantly realizing that my tone is going to give me away.. This man knows me too well...

"Is everything okay?" He asks, pulling my hair into a loose ponytail. He brushes it aside and trails kisses down my neck.

A warm wave of longing floods my very soul and I open my eyes. I am surprised by how much my reflection has changed.

I know it's not possible... But the proof is staring back at me.. The dark circles have disappeared, and suddenly, my long hair makes me more beautiful. My eyes are full of a fiery longing, full of a life only one person can breathe into me...

"It is now." I tell him, smiling at myself in the mirror. The girl smiles back at me and I laugh...

"I love you." He whispers into my ear, his hands roaming the length of my backside and torso.

"I love you too." I tell him, turning around to face him. I give him a kiss and run my hand up his chest... Again, that familiar warm wave of longing washes over me...

"You ready to go?" He asks, looking me in the eyes.

I have always loved that about him. He is as big on eye contact as I am.. And his eyes... His eyes are so full of emotion.. so many emotions all at once.. Right now they are full of love, longing, passion, and a hint of something that shockingly resembles nervous anticipation.

"Lets go, Navy." I say, slipping my hand into his. We walk back to the SUV and he follows me around to the passenger side to open the door for me.

"Thank you." I say, smiling up at him.

"You're welcome." He says, smiling back at me.

Once back down the path he gets out and starts messing with the back seats. To my surprise, they fold down and he spreads a blanket out and tosses a pillow my way. I catch it and smile. We're going to lay in the back of his SUV and stare up at the stars...

"Please tell me you don't think that this is stupid." He says, motioning for me to join him.

"Am I going to be with you all night?" I ask, crawling over my seat and into the back of the SUV.

"That's the plan." He says, smiling.

"Harm, nothing we do together is stupid..." I assure him, stretching out next to him.

"There's a meteor shower tonight, sometime after nine I think." He tells me, propping himself up on one elbow, staring at me intently.

"We've got 17 minutes and 12 seconds 'til nine..." I inform him.

He smiles at me and I can't help but return his smile.

"You know that I love you, right?" He asks, his eyes full of love and concern.

"Yes, and you know that I love you." I tell him, scooting closer to him, suddenly aware of the distance between us. I snuggle up next to him and he continues.

"I live and breathe for you... You're the reason I get up in the morning, and when I wake up and you're next to me, I feel complete, whole.. It's like finding the last peice of a puzzle that you've been searching for all your life. I woke up this morning and I just knew.. I knew that you are what has been missing from my life, you're the puzzle piece that completes my puzzle..." He says, and I can feel the tears forming..

"I just want you to know... you're the most important person in my life, and I have loved you since the moment I first layed eyes on you.. I didn't know it then.. but it didn't take too long to figure it out... I ran from it, I was... I was scared.. scared of so many things... So, I ran.. I ran from the truth. I ran from you.. I don't want to run anymore.. I'm not going to run from this, from us.." He tells me. He has run out of words and so he falls silent.

Tears are streaking down my face as I look up into his eyes. He wipes away my tears and kisses me.

"You complete me." I whisper, leaning in close to him...

During the meteor shower, we stare up at the sky in silence..

Once the meteor shower is over, we somehow manage to position ourselves so that it is possible for us to make love in the back of his SUV.

In between passionate sighs and deep, guteral moans, he tells me how much he loves me...

For once, these words are said, and I take them to heart.. For the first time in my life, I feel loved...

I am loved...


	9. Come Away With Me

Disclaimers: I'm still playing with 'em... DPB, you can have them back when you decide to be nice to 'em!! So there!

A/N: Thanks for the feedback guys... I feel like I've made some friends or something.. grin Sarah, my roommate, read this and told me I was nasty without being nasty.. LOL.. This one's a little short but, oh well..

Enjoy!

"Through Thick and Thin"

Part Nine

I wake up to the sound of Mac softly snoring next to me... Her mouth is open slightly, her hair is all over the place, and both of us are still naked.

It dawns on me that we are in the back of my SUV, that the meteor shower is over, and that I feel amazingly free..

I remember reading somewhere that honest, open expression of how one feels usually leaves one feeling free... Until tonight, I had never been open and honest about anything I've ever felt, so I can't really attest to how being honest and open usually makes people feel...

I stretch as much as possible and plant a small kiss on her forehead. Her form is outlined by starlight and moonlight. She looks absolutely beautiful, as usual...

I watch my hand make its way from her hips to her shoulder and she shudders. I smile. My touch affects her even when she's sleeping..

"That hand better belong to my favorite Sailor, or someone's about to witness a Marine get ugly..." She says, her voice barely above a sleepy whisper.

"You? Get ugly? Marine, you've got to remember something..." I lean up and whisper into her ear.

"And what's that, Navy?" She asks, her curiosity peaked.

"I've seen you naked... A lot of words can describe that sight, but the word 'ugly' will never be one of them." I tell her, snuggling up close to her and kissing her bare shoulder lightly.

"A lot of words, huh?" She asks, snatching a quick breath that sounds just like a gasp as I lick her shoulder then nibble on it gently with my teeth.

"Mmmhmm, lots of words." I assure her, then continue my work on her shoulder.

"Words like..." She trails off, and so I decide to play along.

"Beautiful.." I say, kissing her shoulder once again.

"And?" She asks, wanting me to go on..

"Sexy.." I mumble into her skin, trailing kisses along her collarbone.

"That's it?" She asks, prodding...

"Hot... tempting... irresistible.. overwhelming.." I say, in between kisses. I smile when I look up and see that her head it thrown back and her eyes are closed..

"Oh, God..." She moans, as my hand slips beneath the thin blanket between us. I trace a line from her thigh to her hips and she opens her eyes. We make eye contact and in her eyes is a fiery longing I have come to know and love...

The expression on her face tells me that we are going to take a journey together once again...

When we are making love, we both end up in a place that's magical... The experience to me can be equated to the feelings felt by all in attendance on Sunday morning at a Pentecostal church...

When I was young, Gram took me to church one Sunday and for the first time in my life, I felt like I was more than a man, like there really was a spirit of some sort inside me.. Something on the inside of me was unsettled, stirred up...

Making love to Mac is just like that.. It's physical on a spiritual level.. Two souls together as one...

"Come away with me..." I whisper, and we crash into each other... and the feelings are deeper, more honest... I am full of a passion I feel only for her..


	10. A Diamond is Forever

Disclaimers: I still don't own them, but occasionally, I take them out and make them play with each other..

A/N: This has gotten longer than my previous works... I am determined to finish it.. I have no idea how many chapters it's going to take to wrap this thing up... For all y'all shippers... this chapter is for you!

"Through Thick and Thin"

Part Ten

I wake up in his arms shaking... This man has a bad habit of stealing the covers...

"Harm, I'm cold.. Harm, wake up.." I whisper, shaking him slightly.

"Yeah, I'm going to ask her..." He says, and I stop shaking him. Who is he going to ask? And what's he going to ask her?

"Harm?" I whisper. There is no response. "Harm, who are you going to ask? What are you going to ask her?" I ask, hoping that he will hear me and answer me without waking up.

"Mac.. I'm asking her.." He mumbles, his face expressionless.

"What the? What are you talking about? Are you... Are you thinking about asking me THE question? When? Where? When?! Harm, what are you going to ask me?" I ask, hoping he'll say something that makes a little more sense than his previous statements.

"Mac, I'm going to ask you to marry me. I'm going to ask you... for future reference, what are you planning to say? Yes or no?" He asks, his eyes now open, a cute flyboy grin on his face.

"Wait a minute... You mean to tell me you were awake the whole time? How much of that was sleep talk and how much of it was talk talk?" I ask, not caring that what I just said made no sense at all.

"Well... I don't know.. I woke up to you asking me what I was talking about.. You suggested that I had been talking about asking... "the" question... then you badgered me, wanting to know when, where, and when again... I don't remember anything before that." He says, letting out a yawn. "So, what are you planning to say?" He asks, stretching.

"Ask me and find out..." I tell him, completely serious.

With that he sits up, gathers up his clothes, and crawls out of his SUV. The back hatch is still open and I watch him get dressed beneath the moonlight. He pulls he shirt over his head and I wrap the blanket around me.

"Harm? Harm, what are you doing?" I ask, watching him walk around the SUV and over to the passenger side.

He opens a compartment and pulls out a small black velvet box.

"You want to know what I'm doing?" He asks quietly, his voice filled with emotion.

"Uhhh.." I answer. How articulate...

"I can't wait any longer.. I was going to wait until the perfect time to ask you... but it just hit me... every moment I spend with you is perfect... I want to spend the rest of my life with you... I don't know if I can give you everything you need, but I know that I am willing to die trying.. I love you... I love you more than life itself... Mac... Sarah.." He says, getting down on one knee. "Will you marry me?" He asks, opening the tiny box.

A diamond is forever... This man has just offered me forever..

"Yes, yes... I'll marry you." I tell him, tears in my eyes. I look down at my hand as he smiles and slips a rather large rock onto my ring finger.

"I love you." He says standing up and reaching out to me.

I'm naked, and this blanket isn't really covering everything, but I could care less. I'm in his arms, clinging to him, eyeing the newly acquired token of his love for me.

"I love you too.." I say, looking up at him.

He is crying...

"Oh, flyboy... don't cry... I'm yours.. For forever, I'm yours.. I have always been yours." I tell him, wiping away his tears.

"And I'm forever yours.." He promises me, pulling me to him, kissing me passionately.

In 4 hours, 18 minutes, and 33 seconds, we will be walking into JAG headquarters...

It will take us 3 hours and 10 minutes to get back to my place... We'll take a shower together, grab something to eat, and help each other get into our uniforms..

Then, after eight hours of papers, words, and proceedings, we will head back to my place and help each other get out of our uniforms...

"We've got to get going, Harm... We need to get back to my place, shower, grab something to eat, get dressed..." I tell him.

He smiles.

"I forgot to mention the fact that we were given today off, didn't I?" He asks innocently. He most certainly did "forget to mention" that little fact.

"I believe you did, Navy." I say, raising an eyebrow, wondering how he pulled this off.. With the Admiral gone, things around JAG have been... unpleasant.

"Well, Marine, I somehow managed to, ah, convince a few friends of ours to cover our sixes.. Sturgis and Bud are catching the extra paperwork.. I told them we needed some alone time.." He says, smiling at me still.

"I love you, you know that? I mean, I really, really love you.." I tell him, wrapping my arms around laughing.

"Yeah, I think you might have mentioned something about it.." He teases, kissing me once again.

"Okay, so we are still leaving now.. I'm naked, cold, and I want real sleep..." I tell him.

I get dressed, he starts the SUV, and in 4 minutes and 15 seconds, we are headed back to my place...

I am going to marry Harm... All of my dreams are going to come true...

A diamond truly is forever..


	11. Once Again

Disclaimer: If they were mine, things would be oh, so different.. If they were mine... I promise I would get 'em naked! I mean, it's been almost a DECADE!! Is clothing REALLY NECESSARY at this point?! I mean, geez... two consenting adults madly in love with each other.. Clothes should really be off by now, damnit!!

A/N: Sorry for the delay... talk about busy... yuck. I have a journalism thing I should be studying for but what the hell, you only live once, right? I was in the mood to write something a little.. um, colorful? I turned up the heat just a little in this one.. nothing too detailed, nothing too graphic.. Just our favorite two people having a little fun.. (I wonder if they'll mind if we watch... lol) Well, you know the drill... Enjoy, feel some warm and fuzzy feelings, and please... review!!

"Through Thick and Thin"

Part Eleven

I am going to marry Mac. I am going to marry Mac. I asked her to be mine forever... She's going to be mine forever..

She's saying something about setting a date as I unlock her apartment door. We walk in and I am still not able to focus on a single word she is saying... I say then do the first thing that comes to mind...

"Mac.. I want you." I say, pulling her into my arms and silencing her with a kiss.

The kiss is passionate, almost desperate, as we attempt to undress each other and make our way to her bed room... A strong, overwhelming urge to feel myself inside her rushes through my body and I can feel my knees growing weak..

I will not fall, I will not fall, I will not fall..

I fall.

Mac comes crashing down on top of me and suddenly... the kitchen... the only place left is the kitchen..

I somehow manage to get both of us off of the floor and onto our feet. If asked to accomplish this task again, I am not certain I would be able to... We are almost completely naked and have somehow managed to kiss each other breathless..

I take her by the hand and pull her in the direction of the kitchen. I smile...

She raises an eyebrow, asking a silent question.

"The bedroom, the living room, the shower... Only place left is the kitchen..." I tell her, watching her facial features change all of a sudden. The look she gets when she's following me, when she's mentally right where I am, when what has dawned on me dawns on her... that look is almost enough to drive me completely insane..

"Oh.." She says, smiling and gently pushing me into the kitchen.

I can't take it.. I've got to be kissing her, touching her...

She must be thinking what I'm thinking because once again we are groping, kissing... undressing..

Now naked and laughing, Mac shoves me up against the refridgerator and yanks my boxers down. I step out of them and kiss her. The kiss is simple, gentle at first... but as my need for her grows, the kiss deepens and I moan...

This torture, as sweet as it is, must stop... It ends now..

I lift her up off of the floor and she wraps her arms around my neck.

Counter.. where the hell is the counter?!

Oww, shit.. I stump my toe on... on.. something..

She's laughing at me and planting kisses on my bare chest, which is doing nothing short of driving me crazy..

"Damn.." I mumble into her neck, desperately trying to make my way over to the counter.

Destination in sight... Estimated time of arrival.. In three... two...

Something clangs to the floor as I support her with one arm and clear the counter with the other..

One! Landing successful..

We are kissing and my hands are all over her body, gliding over her soft skin, once again familiarizing themselves with what is mine... This body, this soul, this incredible woman is mine.. forever... No more stifled urges, no more hiding... no more waiting... no more waiting...

Once again, I am lost inside a world of beautiful sights and sounds, deep feelings I feel but don't quite understand, can't quite put into words...

Once again, church crosses my mind as something inside of me grows hot and starts to tingle, as something so much deeper than just what I feel physically reminds me of falling to my knees, a man, a mere mortal, feeling something that is changing him forever ...

Once again, the love of my life is taking me to a place only she can take me...


	12. It's A Woman Thing

Disclaimer: They just need to dance naked! Dance naked, damnit! Oh, and they are not mine, because if they were, they would DANCE NAKED!! I'm so random at 3AM.. Need sleep... Post later... post later...

A/N: Man, I wonder why I've been breaking this thing down into parts when this website has ALWAYS done things as CHAPTERS?! Has anyone other than me noticed that I'm an idiot? (rhetorical question, rhetorical question...) Well, I guess that since I started it in PARTS, I'll finish it in PARTS... God, I'm stupid.

A/N2: I apologize in advance to the men who will read this.. Mattie's "little problem" that is discussed is part of life and if you can't read about it, never get married and never have a daughter! Mattie is a big part of Harm's life, so is Mac, so I figured I'd include a little Mac and Mattie scene, you know?

A/N3: I'll get around to the wedding stuff after a little more fluff and a little more R.H.M., Romantic Harm Moments...

Enjoy, and please review!

"Through Thick and Thin"

Part Twelve

After our episode in the kitchen, we changed channels and there was another episode in the shower...

We are now in bed, curled up together... He's sleeping, and I am staring at the best thing that has ever happened to me..

I close my eyes..

God, my back hurts... The SUV sex was great, but I think my back is protesting any future SUV escapades that might take place in the future...

At that thought, I smile. When questions are asked as to when, where, and how he proposed, and when Harriett is your best friend, questions will be asked, there will be certain details that will get left out. No one needs to know about the events that took place in the back of his Lexus, no one needs to know I was still naked and covered by only a blanket when I accepted his proposal, and no one needs to know that the first thing we did once we got home was each other...

My thoughts are interrupted by the phone. I pick it up after only one ring. Damn, I'm good...

"Hello?" I say into the phone, my voice just above a whisper. After the events of last night and this morning, Harm needs his rest...

"Mac?" It's Mattie.

"Yeah, Mattie, what is it? Is something wrong?" I ask, concerned.

"Ah, well, yeah... kind of. I mean, nothing major... I'm not dead or anything, but I, ah..." She pauses then continues, "I'm glad you answered and not Harm."

"What is it, Mattie? Are you feeling okay?" I ask again. Something in her voice tells me that she's not feeling well.

"It's just that I... I, ah.. Well, I.. "started", you know..." She says, falling silent. It's all I can do not to laugh. Poor kid. No wonder she was glad I answered..

"I understand. Do you just feel bad? Do you need me to come get you, or do you want me to bring you what you'll need?" I ask, childishly dancing around such words as "cramps" and "tampons".

"Well, you see.. I don't feel fine... and I don't.. I don't look fine." She's silent except for the unmistakable sounds of what can only be a teenage girl trying to hide the fact that she is crying. I have just gone from wanting to laugh at her to wanting to cry with her.

"Aw, Mattie, don't worry, sweetheart... I'll be right there. Does a friend have something you can put on?" I ask, cradling the phone between my neck and shoulder, getting dressed as quick as possible.

"Audrey let me barrow her track shorts. When the tardy bell rang for second period, no one was in the halls, so I made a run for the office. My guidance counselor let me use the phone in the conference room and said she would explain to my teachers that I wasn't feeling well so the absence won't count against me..." She has stopped crying and has calmed down a little.

"I'm walking out the door now, Mattie. Just hang in there, okay? I'm bringing you some caffeine and some Tylenol." I tell her, grabbing my keys and cell phone.

"Thanks, Mac, you're the greatest." She says, then ends the call.

I take time to grab a Pepsi, the bottle of Tylenol, and to leave Harm a note. "Went to pick up Mattie from school. She wasn't feeling well. I love you. Mac." I scribble the words onto the piece of paper and use my USMC magnet to stick it on the refrigerator. He will probably sleep the whole time I'm gone, but just in case...

Speed limit be damned, Mattie needs me...

What should have taken me half an hour only takes me fifteen minutes driving like I'm driving...

I pull up outside of Mattie's High School and kill the engine. No seatbelt, 90 in a 45... Smooth, Mackenzie...

I laugh and jog up to the building. Once inside the office, I spot Mattie immediately. She is wearing a brown bomber jacket, a faded black Grace Aviation t-shirt, green and yellow track shorts, and a pair of black boots. She grabs her book bag and offers me a weak smile.

"Ready to go?" I ask, returning her smile.

"Looking like this? Yeah, I'm ready... ready to die! Please, get me out of here." She says, frowning.

"I think I can do that.." I tell her, putting my arm around her shoulder.

On the way back to my place I hear Mattie laugh.

"They are going to think dressing funny runs in the family." She says, looking me over and laughing still.

I look down to discover that my shoes don't match, I'm wearing pajama bottoms, and my shirt is inside out and backwards.

"I was in a hurry to get to you." I say, laughing.

"I can tell... Your clothes are a dead giveaway, so was your arrival time... LFO, huh?" She says, laughing.

"Low Flying Object.. yeah, I guess you could say that." I say, and we both laugh.

"Those for me?" She asks, pointing at the Pepsi and the bottle of Tylenol.

"You know it." I say, smiling.

She smiles at me and takes two Tylenol.

Once we're at my apartment, I set her up with everything she will need and give her a pair of my flannel pajamas. When she emerges from the bathroom, she is clad in my pajamas, her hair is pulled back into a loose ponytail, and she is looking at me with a strange look on her face.

"Holy shit... I mean, holy wow, what happened here?" She asks, surveying the kitchen.

"Harm happened here. And I heard that..." I say, laughing.

"Oh yeah, sorry about that.. So what did do, come in for a crash landing or something?" She asks, helping me pick up the items that had once rested on the counter.

Holy, shit...

A crash landing? God, is this kid psychic?

"Or something... I've got this, Mattie. Go stretch out on the couch and rest." I say, knowing that she doesn't feel well and should be taking it easy.

"When I get up from the million hour nap I'm destined to take, promise me you'll tell me just what that ring means.." She says, smiling happily and pointing at my hand.

"I promise Harm and I both will tell you." I say, looking at my ring once again.

She smiles, then does something that warms my heart... She walks over to me and gives me a hug...

"You know, he loves you, like, a lot... and, well, yeah... I love you a lot too, Mac." She says, her voice a whisper.

"Thanks, Mattie. I love both of you guys too." I say, smiling.

I busy myself cleaning up the mess Harm and I made earlier as she heads towards the living room. She turns on some cartoons and stretches out on the couch. Within twenty minutes, she is asleep and snoring lightly.

I am in my bedroom changing into a pair of jeans and a USMC t-shirt when I hear Harm.

"Did I hear Mattie just then?" He asks, sitting up, a fatherly look of concern on his face.

"Yeah. I had to pick her up from school. She wasn't feeling well." I tell him, walking over to him and sitting on the side of the bed.

"Flu? A cold, or what? She sometimes just doesn't want to put up with school, Mac.." He tells me. In his voice I detect concern laced with suspicion.

"Not a cold, not the flu... It's a.. 'woman thing'." I say, hoping he'll follow along.

"Oh, God.. Okay, forget I asked and I promise to forget that you answered." He says, cringing.

I laugh and kiss him.

"I promised her we would talk about us." I tell him, looking down at the ring.

"She noticed the ring, huh?" He asks, laughing.

"It's kind of hard not to notice, Harm... When she wakes up from her nap, we'll go some place for lunch and talk. Until then..." I say, crawling under the covers and snuggling up next to him. He puts his arms around me and kisses me lightly on the lips.

"I'm thinking we could both use some sleep." He says, closing his eyes.

"Yeah, good idea, flyboy.. I love you." I tell him, letting out a yawn.

"I love you too, Marine." He says, pulling me closer to him.

Exhaustion has set in and I can no longer keep my eyes open...

I give in and drift off to sleep...


	13. Orange Shoe Laces

Disclaimer: They are not mine, but playing with them has been so much fun...

A/N: I have nothing random rising up in me right now... I wrote this while listening to Professor Nielson ramble on and on about product distribution... blah blah blah... Journalism's a jerk- kick it if you see it running around...

Enjoy and please review!

Through Thick and Thin

Part Thirteen

I open my eyes to find Mattie standing over me and Mac. She's sporting one of the goofiest grins I have ever seen..

"Hey.." I somehow manage to say, my throat soar and scratchy.

"Hey, yourself... Wow, so you guys are doing it now, huh?" She asks, laughing at me.

I can feel myself blushing as I change the subject. "You feeling any better?" I ask, prying myself away from Mac, who is sleeping soundly.

"Yeah. Mac gave me caffeine and Tylenol, so I'm fine now. So, how long have you guys been... 'together'?" She asks, following me.

I grab a t-shirt out of the closet and pull it over my head. There is no simple answer to that question, so I pretend the question was never asked. Mac is exhausted, I can tell... She didn't stir at all when I slipped out of bed, which is unusual... "Come on... she needs her rest." I say, my voice barely a whisper.

"I bet... So, yeah, are you going just leave me hanging or what? Out with it, Harm... How long have you been together? When's the wedding? When did you propose? Where did you propose? Oh, my God, so are we getting a house and a back yard and a dog now?!" She's asking me all these questions and all I can do is smile.

"Come on, Mattie...you can go home and take a quick shower, change clothes, then we'll come back and pick Mac up. All three of us can talk over food... I know Mac's going to be hungry by the time we get back, if not before then." I tell her, grabbing my keys off of the coffee table. I smile. Mac must have straightened up the kitchen...

"Sounds like a plan... So, wow, you told her that you love her and all that, then you guys got all physical, and now you're engaged.. I don't know if that's gross or if it's sweet." She says, laughing at me once again.

"Watch it..." I warn playfully.

Once on the way to her place, I ask her how school has been going lately.

"God, Harm, I mean, it's school. A bell rings, you get out of one cell, a bell rings telling you that you should, by now, be in another cell... The people are infantile stupidheads who deserve whatever horrible fate that befalls them. This one guy, Jonas Spencer, has taken to calling me Chattie instead of Mattie because he thinks I talk too much. He said I was hogging all the words so I told him he was hogging all the ugly." She says, munching on some Doritos she must have found in Mac's apartment.

"You're going to ruin your appetite." I tell her, laughing at the fact that she told this Spencer kid he was hogging all the ugly. Something about her reminds me of Mac and I can't help but smile to myself.

"Ah, hello, I'm hungry.. so anyway.. Then there's Sarah Pruitt. Her dad bought her a car and now that she has her license, she thinks she's all that. She was throwing it in my face that all my dad buys are six packs.. She said something about driving down to their beach house this weekend, and how she was taking people with her but I wasn't invited, so I just up and blurted out that she bites it big time. Ms. Allen gave me lunch detention. It's worth it though because she really does bite it big time. Then there's Hudson Scott. He sits in front of me in Algebra II. He sleeps through the class all last week then Friday he takes a test. Last Thursday night Jen and I were up way late studying, remember? Well, today we get the grades back. I made a 90, a strong B. I was fine with my grade until Mr. Zeltman woke Hudson up to hand him an A! An A, and he SLEEPS through the class.. And don't get me started on Gibson Phelps. Three weeks ago, Mac picked me up from school and we went out to eat then picked Jen up and went bowling. Girl's night out, remember? Well, ever since then, he has been telling all his friends that I have this smokin' Marine friend who drives a red Corvette. He talks about her everyday at lunch and all the guys laugh as he talks about her being stacked, having long legs, and a beautiful smile. I swear, I love Mac, but I'm tired of hearing about how hot she is... Maybe once I tell him you're marrying her he'll fixate on someone else..." She's rambling on and on about... something.. I don't know..

I'm thinking about this Phelps guy. He sees Mac once and falls head over heels in love with her?

I can't really blame him... I mean, damn... she drives up in a red Corvette, gets out wearing that tight, Marine green uniform, saunters over to Mattie... I can see why he would talk about her day after day after day... A teenager sees a woman like Mac and his heart rate increases, his palms get sweaty, and anything smooth he might want to say to her is ruined by his recently acquired stutter... Who am I kidding? You don't have to be a teenager for Mac to have that affect on you, I should know...

I pull up in front of our place and kill the engine.

"Alright, Chattie.. I mean, Mattie.. Quick shower, toss on something, then we're gone.." I say, laughing as she glares at me.

"You know, I've been taking kickboxing lessons with Mac... I suggest you never call me that again... unless, of course, you want to find out just how much I've learned.." She threatens, her tone serious but playful. "What's that?" She asks, getting out of the SUV and peering into it, pointing.

I spot Mac's monkey and laugh.

"I got that for Mac. You record a message then press his hand and he plays it back for you. It was a failed attempt to be romantic." I tell her, shaking my head. Before I think to lock the doors, Mattie opens the door and grabs the monkey.

"Hey, you're cute!" She says, holding the monkey.

"Mattie, DON'T!" I yell, watching in horror as she reaches for the monkey's hand...

"Fuck you." The monkey says.

"Oh my God, what kind of monkey is this?!" She says, laughing and running towards the apartment.

"MATTIE GRACE!" I yell, trying to sound stern. I fail. I laugh and chase after her.

"Eat shit." I hear the monkey say... once again...

"Oh, my God, this is too freakin' funny! Say something else!" She squeals in delight.

"You're ugly and you smell like butt." The cute little monkey declares.

"You smell like butt!! That's classic!" She says, pressing the monkey's hand once again.

The monkey quickly spits out nasty little phrases as Mattie laughs so hard she can barely continue running.

"You gave this to Mac and she told you she would marry you? She's stupid or it's love!" Mattie says, listening to the monkey and laughing still.

"Do you have mirrors in your pockets? Because I can see myself in your pants." The monkey says, and Mattie is almost breathless.

"Mattie! Give me that stupid monkey!" I say, chasing her to the elevator.

Once inside the elevator, she presses the monkey's hand and finally hears my message to Mac.

"So that's what you said to convince her you're not a waste of her time.. Dice, that's hot! No wonder she said yes when you asked her to marry you!" She says, smiling and handing me the monkey.

I look down into his cute furry face and laugh.

Mattie heads to her and Jen's place to get ready.

I head to my apartment to go through the mail and check my messages. I am surprised to see that I have eleven new messages.

The first seven messages are from companies wanting me to give them money. The eighth message is from Bud, the ninth from Sturgis, and the tenth from my mom. She just wants to check on me and would appreciate hearing her son's voice every once in a while... mothers..

The eleventh message makes me smile. It's from Mac.

"When I woke up you and Mattie were gone, and someone doesn't have his cell phone on... I'm hungry.. Call me. I love you."

I reach into my pocket and pull out my cell phone.

"Hello?" I hear her say.

"Hey, I got your message... Mattie's taking a quick shower, throwing on some clothes, and we'll be to your place to pick you up. What are you in the mood for?" I ask, mindlessly flipping through bill after bill, advertisement after advertisement.

"I'm in the mood for... you." She says, and just from her tone of voice I can tell that she's smiling.

"Is that right?" I ask, playing along.

"Yeah... it's lonely over here... I woke up and the bed was cold. And you left no note.." She tells me.

"I'm sorry about that.. I promise I'll make it up to you.." I say, noticing that my voice has deepened slightly.

"When will you make it up to me?" She asks, this little game of hers taking us exactly where we want to go...

"I'll make it up to you tonight... all night long." I assure her, smiling to myself.

"I have to wait that long, huh?" She asks, pouting a little.

"I'll make it worth the wait." I promise her.

"I'm sure you will..." She says, and with that said, the line goes dead.

I put my cell phone in my pocket at about the same time Mattie walks in. Her hair is still wet and she is wearing a pair of faded jeans that are ripped at both the knees, a grease-stained gray t-shirt that has a vintage Corvette on the front of it, and a pair of black Converse with orange shoe laces. I smile... Something about her reminds me of Mac yet again as I ask, "Those the shoes Mac got you?"

"Yeah. She got the laces too... said they would spice things up a little. I'm glad you guys are together but.." She stops mid-sentence and the look on her face concerns me.

"But what, Mattie?" I ask, walking over to her and resting a hopefully reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I was just going to say that I like you guys being together but I'm worried about her taking to me, you know? I mean, I'm a teenager... You and I have a lot in common... What if she doesn't like me once she gets to know me better or something?" She asks, fear in her eyes.

"Mattie, I've seen Mac when she's around you... you're as good for her as she is for you. I think that the two of you compliment each other well... I can't explain it, but something about you makes me think of Mac... and you may have more in common than you realize. When you guys are together you are laughing and smiling. Mac needs you, and I think if you allow yourself to need her, an amazing friendship will be formed." I tell her, knowing that she must feel as if she's an imposition. I put my arm around her shoulder and pull her into a side hug and add, "Mac's a tough Marine, but there's also a side to her that is... that is.."

That is what? A mother? A protector?

"I know.. I've seen that side of her a few times... Like when she's talking to Chloe on the phone, when she's with Bud's kids, or when she's concerned about you. Someday, she's going to be a great mom... who knows, I might adopt her as a mom... I mean, she is going to marry my 'kind of sort of Dad', you know?" She says, smiling up at me.

On the way to Mac's apartment, I listen to her talk about school, Grace Aviation, and her desire to get 'back up'... I can tell that she misses flying.. I miss it as well.. Maybe we can put in some air time this weekend... Mattie and I could fly, Mac could drive and meet us in Flanagan Field... Then Mac and I could fly home and Mattie could drive Mac's Corvette home... Mattie would love that.. I think Mac would too...


	14. Man of His Word

Disclaimer: They are not mine... I wish they were, but you can't always get what you want... you can't always get what you want... you can't always get what you want... but if you try sometime... you might find... you get what you need... aww, yeah..

A/N: Okay, so my disclaimer was random... my apologies. This one is a little on the short side, but it will be followed by something good next week- I promise.

A/N2: I have no idea when season nine supposedly ended... no clue what month... just assume this story takes place in the future... October 2004... I'll get them through their first Thanksgiving and Christmas together... then there will be a January wedding..

A/N3: So yeah, this story might be one of those long, drawn out things.. I'm not sure. I might just write it and post it all at once.. It depends on what happens on the show I guess... If I have to, I'll write and write and write to escape what DPB is throwing at us. Do you guys want this all at once, or do you want this story's timeline to match real life? Someone let me know... feel free to email me at: with any questions/suggestions.

QUESTION: ANYONE OUT THERE GOT A BIRTHDAY IN JANUARY? If so, I'll make the wedding your birthday present...

Enjoy, and do the right thing, buddy... click that little review button...

Through Thick and Thin

Part Fourteen

At Moe's Southwestern Grill, we place our orders.

"I'm starving." Mattie says, sliding into the booth next to me.

"You and me both." I say, my stomach growling. Harm laughs and shakes his head.

"I don't know how you guys eat so much... both of you are always hungry.." He says, laughing at us still.

"This is when I pull out the 'I'm still growing' card and you leave me alone about eating so much." Mattie says to Harm. She leans up against me and I put my arm around her.

"Leave the growing child alone, Harm.. I mean it." I say, jokingly.

"Two against one, huh? I see how it is... Every man for himself... I can live with that." He says, rolling his eyes.

Mattie smiles at me and says, "Food in five, four, three, two.."

The waiter arrives carrying drinks on one tray and our food on another.

We eat in silence at first, then Mattie starts up the conversation.

"So, details, details... You guys said that you'd spill it over food, so yeah... get to it!" She says, starting in on her second enchilada.

"I'm... eating... you talk, I'll nod." I manage in between bites. Harm smiles a big flyboy smile and I continue eating.

"We've been together for almost two weeks now...last night I asked her to marry me, she said yes, and we're working on setting a date..." Harm says, picking at his salad with his fork. Mattie and I are shaking our heads at him. "What?" He asks, laughing.

"Well, Harm, you finally got your head outta your six." Mattie says, laughing and smiling at me.

Harm laughs and I reach over and grab his diet coke and finish it off.

"I wasn't finished with that." He says, rolling his eyes playfully.

"Oh." I say, sliding the empty glass towards him with a smile. "Then, you can have it back."

"Are you going to eat that?" Mattie asks me, pointing at half of a chili, cheese, and bean burrito with her fork.

"Help yourself." I say, sliding my plate towards her with a smile. Until I met Mattie, I had never met anyone who eats as much as I do...

"Will it be a winter wedding or are you guys going to wait until spring?" Mattie asks, starting in on my burrito.

This question is mine to answer...

"Snow on the ground would be nice... I'm not big on flowers and all things green... January or February would be nice." I suggest, studying Harm. He is smiling a smile that is so damn big...

"The sooner the better." He says, winking at me.

I smile. January is not so far away... October, November, December...

That gives us this month, next month, and the month after that..

After we all finished eating, we decide to go see a movie. After the movie, we go bowling. Mattie won, I finished second, and Harm... well, my flyboy isn't much of a bowler... but watching him was nice... watching him from behind was very nice..

After dropping Mattie off, we carry on casual conversation on the way back to my place.

Outside of my apartment door, I mention waking up cold and alone this afternoon to him and he smiles.

"I promised to make that up to you didn't I?" He asks, smiling still.

"You promised to make it up to me all night long..." I remind him.

"And I am a man of my word..." He says, leading me out of the living room and into the bedroom..


End file.
